20 May 2021

Advancing and supporting the participation of women entrepreneurs in the Energy and Power Sector Part 1

If we want to see an inclusive energy and power sector, we need to work together to identify and implement the best initiatives to support women’s economic opportunities and create an enabling environment needed for women’s economic empowerment.

Women’s economic empowerment is crucial to sustainable poverty reduction. In order to achieve this private and public sector must work collaboratively to find ways to successfully integrate women into markets as employees, producers, distributors and consumers.

In our webinars we explore the ecosystem of energy stakeholders to orient women entrepreneurs on the mechanics of the sector so they can gain power sector business acumen.

Speakers at the webinar were:

AWEaPAWEaP:
Ms Bertha Dlamini
UtilityCity of Tshwane:
Ms Lomile Modisella
Emfuleni Local Municipality:
Ms Refilwe Mokgotsi
Department of Mineral Resources and EnergyDMER:
Ms Elizabeth Marabwa
Technology company: OEMRockwell Automation:
Ms Canninah Mapena-Dladla

The participation of women in the energy and power sector, what is missing and how can we close the gap?

Access to: Finance, Market, Technology

Ixowave:
Ms Taniya Krishna

Bayaka Infrastructure Partners:
Ms Thokozile Zambane

DBSA:
Ms Tsitsi Musasike

Click here to watch the full webinar
Ms Bertha Dlamini
Ms Lomile Modisella
Ms Elizabeth Marabwa
Ms Canninah Mapena-Dladla
Ms Taniya Krishna
Ms Thokozile Zambane
Ms Tsitsi Musasike

We encourage you to do the following:

  1. Visit our YouTube channel
  2. Watch previous webinars
  3. Take notes from the presentations given
  4. Note the tips shared on how you can gain entry into the energy and power sector as an entrepreneur
  5. Note programmes in place to address some of the barriers:
    1. Access to market
    2. Access to skills development
    3. Access to finance
    4. Access to technology
  6. Download presentations and listen to the recorded webinar again
  7. Follow through by: visiting websites and taking the initiative to build the network necessary to enable your participation

Inspiration

LEAVE A LEGACY

“This is a truly South African company. It is built on a model where everybody works together for its benefit. We are still true to our original model. We send in highly skilled professionals, get them to work with young people to carry things forward and leave skills behind. Motheo believes that there is room for everybody to benefit and grow in our country.”

Dr Thandi Ndlovu

founder of Motheo Construction, one of the country’s leading social housing developers. African Women in Energy and Power
“Being a pioneering woman is [about] not waiting until you’re rich or famous or waiting for all of your stars to be aligned”

Lynette Ntuli

NEVER STOP LEARNING

“I think that you actually need to allow yourself to be okay with the fact that you don’t know everything, because that opens you up to learning and to learning quickly, and that is what has differentiated me from others. I’m willing to learn. I’m not a master and I don’t fully understand the depth of particular functions, but I allow myself the permission to say “I don’t know, but I will learn” – that’s very important. I think just tenacity and committing to putting your head down and committing yourself to working hard is very important. You can’t get into anything without really opening yourself up to the idea that it’s going to be long and hard, and that you need to push to get through to the end"

Nozipho Mbanjwa

award-winning business journalist on one of Africa’s leading news channels, CNBC Africa and an entrepreneur
Webinar Series 2021